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Saturday, July 9, 2016

Release Tour: Laguna Beach Kindle Worlds #1 (Excerpt)

The Laguna Beach Kindle World

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the Laguna Beach Kindle World!

I’m so glad you are here and diving into this wonderful story. All of the Laguna Beach Kindle World stories are set in the same town of Laguna Beach, where my original series takes place. And if you’re familiar with the series, you’ll no doubt run across some of your favorite characters. The difference is, this book is entirely the work of the author. I didn’t help with plotting, writing or editing, but I was thrilled that when I asked her, she agreed to bring her imagination and storytelling skills to Laguna Beach!

Sleepless in Laguna

by Suzanne Rock

Contemporary Romance

ebook, 104 pages

July 5, 2016 by Kindle Worlds

Laguna Beach Kindle Worlds Novella

Kaylee Sharpe has one more radio interview to do before she’ll be able to leave the crazy Hollywood lifestyle behind. Normally such interviews are easy, but this one is with her ex-boyfriend-turned-shock-jock Mateo Salinas. Sexy and persuasive, he seems sincere when he tells her he’s changed. More than anything she wants to believe him, but can someone who makes a living being wild adjust to the calm, quiet world she craves?

Mateo has always regretted what happened between him and Kaylee in college. Back then, he was a first-class jerk, but now he’s different. Unfortunately, Kaylee only sees the insane radio show host, a persona he had created for his audience. To win her back he knows he must reveal the side he keeps hidden from the world, but doing so might cost him the one thing he holds most dear: his radio show.

“I mean, he didn’t want to talk about you to Kevin. He said that the topic of your relationship was off-limits. The only way Kevin could get him here was if he made it seem like it was a guys’ night out.”

“Wait, he doesn’t want to see me?”

“Not exactly, he just doesn’t want to talk about you with anyone. We aren’t even allowed to bring up your name. I’m not sure what you said to him yesterday, but it seems as if it really struck a sore spot.”

“I guess.” Kaylee wrung her hands as uneasiness crawled over her skin.

Crissy took her hand. “Come on.”

She dragged Kaylee down through the staff area and out a side door that led to the parking lot. After looping through the cars, they slid under a roped-off area and back onto the beach.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere more private.”

A warm tendril of desire spiraled through her center as Crissy led her a short distance away from the hotel toward a large canopy. Under the canopy sat a small table filled with utensils and food. Two chairs piled with pillows sat on either side of the table.

“Where are they?” Kaylee asked.

“They’ll be coming soon. Have a seat.”

The table was gorgeous. White linens and sterling silver place settings were arranged around a small bouquet of colorful flowers. Kaylee stared as Crissy took a dome off one of the plates.

“The food isn’t elegant—just fish tacos—but I think that the ambiance more than makes up for it.”

“It does. It’s beautiful.”

“Okay.” Crissy put the dome back on the plate and hugged her friend. “I have to go signal Kevin. He and Mateo should arrive in a few minutes. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Nerves rippled through Kaylee as a light breeze whispered around her. Everything was so perfect. She really did have a good friend.

She picked up one of the forks and examined the intricate pattern on the handle. After a minute, she put it back and began to pace. She hadn’t been this nervous since college. What would she say to Matt? Did he even want to see her? The more she thought about what she was doing, the more nervous she became.

She didn’t know what made her look back at the hotel, but when she did, she found two men staring at her. One patted the other on the shoulder and walked away. The second man looked at her for a long moment, and she could almost feel him weighing his options. Then slowly, deliberately, he started to close the distance between them. Kaylee took in a deep, steadying breath as her heart beat double-time in her chest.

It was hard to believe that everything hinged on this moment. Hopefully she had the strength to see this through. She didn’t know what she was going to do if Matt didn’t accept her apology. After everything they had been through, she didn’t know what she’d do if he decided to walk away. She didn’t think her heart could take it.

About the Author

A lifetime New Englander, Suzanne Rock married her college sweetheart and has been with him for over twenty years. Every summer she drags her husband and two daughters to Maine on a quest for the perfect lobster dinner. Every fall she can be found down in Foxboro, Massachusetts cheering on her favorite football team. In between those trips, she’s a chauffeur, a maid, a chef, an event planner, a hairdresser, a wardrobe stylist, a tutor, and a sometimes masseuse. To keep her sanity, she often drinks copious amounts of coffee and stares at the blank screen of her laptop, dreaming of great adventures. Sometimes she even writes them down for others to enjoy.

Weddings in Laguna

by Cheryl Phipps

Contemporary Romance

ebook, 110 pages

July 5, 2016 by Kindle Worlds

Laguna Beach Kindle Worlds Novella

Zach Dorn may be related to reality star royalty, but his life has never been an open book. Seeking security after a tour in Iraq, he follows his brother to Laguna Beach where he opens a wedding cruise business. When Blaine Carter, the curvaceous wedding planner, enters his life, Zach soon realizes his feelings for her are challenging his decision to stay unattached, and the heart he’d believed frozen is fast thawing out.

Blaine’s been burnt by love. Badly. Losing her business – her pride and joy – has scarred her. Now sexy Captain Dorn, is asking her to take a chance, on business and pleasure, and she’s running scared. How can she forget the past when it resembles the future in almost every way?

Excerpt

Before he knew it, he was at her shoulder. “What’s that?” He pointed to what looked like the stage, festooned with balloons. He hated balloons. In his well-traveled opinion, they made a hell of a mess. They were for children, not mature adults who, while under the influence, found a crazy delight in popping them.

“I intend to have banners of balloons in front of the lights. They’ll change color and add to the festive feel.” She held the paper up and grinned. “It’s a Mardi Gras theme.”

His stomach ached. “Oh, Hell’s teeth.”

“What’s wrong? You don’t sound too happy about it.”

Zach grasped the arm of his chair, his fingers whitening as he thought of his pet hate. “Happy? No, I’m not happy. There’s always trouble around that sort of thing. People getting drunk and trying to have sex in every nook and cranny. It’s appalling.”

Blaine tried to smother another grin. “I’ll be here to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

It almost made him smile, in spite of how he felt, to imagine tiny Blaine trying to get people to put their clothes back on, but she was still in his chair. And looking pretty darn comfortable too.

“You can’t stop it. I’ve tried. The minute you walk away from a couple in a clinch they go back to it like you never said a word.”

“I promise it won’t happen.”

“Are you for real? What happens on land with a wedding is not necessarily what happens at sea. Being offshore is somehow liberating, and the guests take full advantage of it.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“I’ve had Majestic for a year, and I worked on her prior to that. Trust me, I’ve seen it all. Some things I never imagined I’d witness from people who should know better. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it.”

Blaine laughed, and not a girlish tinkle or annoying giggle, which a person could assume would happen from the size of her. It was a loud guffaw. She thought he was funny. Zach had been accused of a lot of things. Being funny was certainly not one of them.

About the Author

As a young mother with three small children, Cheryl Phipps escaped the daily chaos of motherhood through her beloved romance novels. She loved being whisked away from nappies and wiping noses to exotic locations filled with suave heroes and feisty heroines, and wonderful small towns with heart-warming tales of strong family ties and life-affirming true love.

Her bookshelves still hold those favourite authors – Nora Roberts, Marian Keyes and Cathy Kelly – plus new-found favourites who write stories that echo Cheryl’s own values: family always comes first and life’s struggles and challenges are always surmountable through love.

Cheryl’s three children have now grown up and have families of their own, leaving her free to pursue her dreams of writing novels. She lives in a quiet suburb of New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, with her wonderful husband, who she married the moment she left school (yes, they were high school sweethearts). She enjoys taking walks with her husband, dinner out with friends, and, of course, weaving sensual stories that celebrate the joy of love, family and resilience.

Sunset in Laguna

by Melanie Shawn

Contemporary Romance

ebook, 89 pages

July 5, 2016 by Kindle Worlds

Laguna Beach Kindle Worlds Novella

The artist who's lost her inspiration...

Cheyenne Burns is stuck. There's no other word for it. She hasn't created a new piece in over a year, and it's putting her career (and her identity!) in serious jeopardy. No matter what she tries, she just can't seem to shake free of her baggage and create. Needing a change of scenery to jumpstart her inspiration, she takes a sabbatical in the gorgeous artists' enclave of Laguna Beach. When she meets her sexy landlord, though, she realizes she might just get more out of the trip than she bargained for.

The writer who's lost his mojo...

Griff Hudson has been "working on his novel" for almost a decade, but the truth is, he's finished more bottles of Jack Daniels at his writing desk than he has pages. Guilt over his past has stolen his voice, and he sometimes wonders if he'll ever get it back. It's not until Cheyenne walks through his front gate that he thinks he might have finally found his muse.

Can Cheyenne and Griff let go of their pasts long enough to embrace their future—together?

Excerpt

She lowered her lips to his. She loved kissing him, and she knew it was going to be even more potent now that the stakes were raised. When her mouth was just centimeters away from his, though, he took control of the situation. He rose to meet her, crushing his lips to hers and wrapping his strong hands around her arms to pull her in close. He kissed her passionately, exploring her tongue with his mouth. She melted into him as if her bones had been dissolved with the sheer force of the arousal coursing through her.

Her head spun. She didn’t know if minutes had passed, or hours. She didn’t care. In the tiny corner at the back of her mind that still held rational thought, she recognized that she never lost time like this outside of painting. That was the only other thing that held her attention so raptly that everything else faded out. The only other thing that wrapped her up so completely that there actually wasn’t room in her brain for anything else.

That’s what passion is, the little voice whispered. When something owns you so completely that it shuts out the rest of the world. Art owns you like that. And now Griff does, too.

About the Author

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Melanie Shawn is the writing team of sister duo Melanie and Shawna. Originally from Northern California, they both migrated south and now call So Cal their home.

Growing up, Melanie constantly had her head in a book and was always working on short stories, manuscripts, plays and poetry. Shawna always loved romance in any form - movie, song or literary. If it was a love story with a happy ending, Shawna was all about it! She proudly acknowledges that she is a romanceaholic.

They have joined forces to create a world where true love and happily ever after always has a sexy twist!

A Look at the Laguna Beach Series

Madison Alcott was back in her hometown, caring for her sick mom and working long hours at the best resort in Laguna Beach. She never imagined she'd return to the place where she became famous on the hit reality TV show Laguna Nights, and the place where she was humiliated on national television. Fortunately, the past had stayed tucked away until her old high school boyfriend appeared in the lobby.

Josh Welsh was a superstar by age eighteen, the bad boy break-out star of Laguna Nights. Since then, his star had lost its shine and he barely was holding onto his Hollywood status. When he was asked to host a new reality travel show, he jumped at the chance. The only problem was the first episode was shooting in Laguna Beach. Of all the reasons Josh didn't want to return home, he hadn't even imagined the worst scenario: running into Madison "Holly" Alcott. Josh's connection to Madison was still as strong as her anger at his betrayal. When the new reality series forces them together, they must face Laguna Nights past and present, and navigate a journey where nothing is as it seems.

Annie and Hank have created a perfect life in Laguna Beach but when a dark secret is revealed, will their marriage survive?

In high school, Annie Johns was the calm, supportive sidekick to the rest of the tumultuous female stars of the hit reality TV show, Laguna Nights. Today, she’s living the happy life as a mom that she predicted on the show long ago. There’s only one problem: the secret from her past that haunts her most nights, a secret that if revealed could ruin everything she shares with her husband, Hank, a man who saved her from the heartache.

Laura Kinkaid’s glamorous Hollywood life is falling apart. After years of reality television stardom beginning in high school on Laguna Nights, her career and relationship with her long-term boyfriend Scott are fizzling out. Laura decides to go home to Laguna Beach for the weekend to attend a baby shower for her high school friend. That decision – and a car accident – will lead her to a new future, if she’s ready to take a chance at love.

Paul Dorn’s former life in New York City is far behind him and he’s working in a popular Laguna Beach surf shop when fate brings the most beautiful woman he’s ever met into his life. The attraction is instant and he has an overwhelming desire to protect her. While Paul’s retail sales career is a short-term job for market research purposes, his focus on Laura is long-term.

Will Laura allow a handsome stranger to help her create a future unlike her past, or will the bright lights of Hollywood pull her back to LA?

Scott Cassidy has lived a blessed life. Growing up in Laguna Beach with a loving family, he was discovered in high school when he appeared on the popular reality TV show, Laguna Nights. Now cast as a doctor on the number one soap opera, his star keeps rising. Finally free from his long-term girlfriend, Scott isn’t looking for love, but when a popular dating app matches him with Jamie Kane, he can’t deny the sparks. But is she really everything she seems?

Jamie Kane isn’t lucky in love or life. Her childhood was tumultuous with a single mom who moved to Hollywood for fame but ended up waiting tables in Malibu. Certainly not one of the spoiled kids she went to high school and college with, Jamie has worked hard to achieve her dreams of being an actress, even as she begins to realize it’s not her calling. Jamie believes Scott may be the answer to everything unless a past mistake makes him doubt their future together.

About the Author

Kaira Rouda is a USA TODAY bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary fiction that sparkles with humor and heart including HERE, HOME, HOPE, IN THE MIRROR and her latest novel, THE GOODBYE YEAR. Her modern romance novels are set on beaches, including the Laguna Beach series and the Indigo Island series.

She lives in Southern California with her family and is at work on her next novel. After living in Columbus, Ohio, for most of her life, she now enjoys the beach whenever possible. Connect with her on Twitter, @KairaRouda, and on Facebook at Kaira Rouda Books. For more about Kaira and her books, please visit www.KairaRouda.com.